'More Than A Measure Of Standardized Scores, Statistics, Averages And Percentages'

Old Fourth Ward rallies to keep Hope-Hill Elementary open.

Scores of residents of the Old Fourth Ward held an afternoon rally Sunday to make their voices heard in the ongoing Atlanta Public Schools redistricting discussions. Under two proposals being considered, Old Fourth Ward's neighborhood school, Hope-Hill Elementary, is to merge with Cook Elementary School in Capitol Gateway. One proposal calls for the combined student bodies to attend Cook, closing the Hope-Hill campus. The other proposal closes Cook's campus. Both schools are under-enrolled and the redistricting is part of an overall plan at APS to consolidate schools operating far below full capacity. It also is designed to relieve overcrowding at other schools and proactively address population booms expected in certain parts of the city…

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Patch Voices

APS Redistricting: Before New Schools Construction, Take Stock Of Existing Facilities

One Old Fourth Ward parent's take on possible solutions to overcrowding and under-utilized schools.

In the redistricting plans Atlanta Public Schools parents are currently reviewing, the two options call for the consolidation of Cook Elementary in the Capitol Gateway neighborhood and Hope-Hill Elementary in Old Fourth Ward. The combined student body would attend one campus and the other would close. Old Fourth Ward resident Priscilla Borders says shuttering Hope-Hill would leave the neighborhood with three closed schools all within a short walk of one another — Hope-Hill, the former Walden Middle School and former Howard High School. In this Patch Voices editorial, she explains some alternative solutions and uses APS should consider.

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SimplyMzG

1:12 pm on Saturday, February 4, 2012

Well said!   more ›

Mary Lin Welcomes 11 Principals

Council of Intown Neighborhoods and Schools kicks off a new year

Even though she hasn’t had a child enrolled at Toomer Elementary School until this year, Sally Alcock of Kirkwood has been involved as a volunteer at Toomer for about 10 years. “I’m not the only one,” Alcock said Wednesday at the Council of Intown Neighborhoods and Schools’ first community meeting of the 2011-2012 school year. “There are a bunch of us who moved to Kirkwood years ago and decided we were going to help our local school because we love the neighborhood and wanted a strong school for our neighborhood.” CINS, she said, “is extremely important to being able to build a stronger, better school. The amount of support that CINS gives to each school, to its principals, staff and students is invaluable.” “Empowering schools . . . …

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